Knitting machine



July 9, 1929. c. HlLscHER KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 8, 1926 INVENTOR Nkmm B W /v ATroRNEY www Patented July 9, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

CURT I-IILSCHER, OF CHEMNITZ, GERMANY.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Application led March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,043.

The present invention relates to an improvement in driving` mechanism for thread carriers in knitting machines, one object being to provide a device which shall be capable of smoother and more rapid operation than that of similar devices heretofore known. A well known type of thread carrier drive is exemplified in the machine disclosed in appl' fants German. Patent No. 282,674 of December 16, 1913` the present invention being in some respectsl an improvement thereon. As shown in that patent, the thread carrier rod receives oscillating endwise movement from an endwise oscillating bar through a releasable connection, thel extent of" movement of the carrier rod being limited by suitable stops. The periodic abrupt stopping of said carrier rod produces a rebound or recoil which interferes with smooth and accurate operation of the kntter. In tact, this difficulty definitely limits the speed ot' operation although all other parts could be, measurably accelerated to advantage. One of the purposes ot' the. present invention is therefore to drive the thread carriers in such a manner that there will be no harmful or undesirable impact or recoil either on starting or arresting their effective motion at greatly accelerated operative speeds.

A further object of the present invention has been to provide a thread carrier mechanism which, while operating with a minimum of vibration at high speed, will also maintain a suitable lead over the advance of the slur cock connecting bar or jack bar hereinafter referred to as connecting bar. It will be noted in connection with the apparatus shown in my German patent above mentioned that, in operation, portions of the thread carrier drive alternately engage and disengage in such a way as to produce a periodic impact somewhat less in etlect than that incidental to the operation of devices theretofore known but still sufiicient to limit'. somewhat the speed of operation. Furthermore, in knitters of the type shown in said patent the thread guide drive operates directly from the connecting or jack bar so that during portions of the narrowing operation, the speed of the connecting bar is necessarily limited to that at which the parts can engage and disengage without undue vibration or impact.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanyingr the present specification and in which Figure 1 is a View in elevation partly diagrammatic of thread carrier and slur cock moving portions ot a knitter,

Figure 2, a top plan View in detail of the cam mechanism indicated in Figure. 1,' and Figure 3, a. detail view partly in longitudinal section showing a frictional connection between the chain and the chain actuating rod. l

Referring to the drawings, a thread carrier rod l of a well known type slidably mounted in brackets, not shown, is connected t-o effective driving mechanism by means of" a drive rod 2 slidably mounted in bearings 3 and a fork 4 secured to said rod 2. Oscillatory motion is imparted to said fork by means of a chain 5 or other suitable flexible member cooperating with guide rollers 29 and carrying a tappet G which sldably engages the fork 4, said chain being actuated by a rod 7 to which the ends of said chain are attached as at 8 and 9 or by a frictionally held connection as shown in Figure 3. 'lo and fro movement of rod 7 is effected by any suitable means, shown in the present case as a cam 10 mounted eccentrically on a shaft 11 and operatively engaging spaced rollers 12 and 13 pivoted on a swinging link 14, one end of said link engaging and actuating a lever 15 to which rod 7 is operatively connected by a link 16.

In place of the fixed chain connections at 8 and 9, frictional devices may be employed, said devices comprising a collar 30 having a hook 31 or other suitable chain securing member, and a cylindrical bushing 32 secured to said collar and threaded at one end to engage the threaded portion of a collar 33. A coiled spring 34 is arranged with one or more turns around rod 7, one end of said spring being fixed and the other end movable by rotation of collar 33 to increase or diminish the frictional grip of said spring on rod 7. A nut 35 or other suitable' locking device is employed to prevent accidental turning of collar 33.

The mechanism thus far described operates independently of the sinker or meshing motion, a portion of which is shown in the drawings as including a cam 17 mounted on ,shaft 1l and engaging rollers 18 and 19 on a swinging link 20. Endwise motion of said link is transmitted to a level' 21 which in turn actuates a slur cock connecting bar 22 through a link 28.

In addition to the thread carrier and jack operating or meshing devices, Figure 1 also indicates a portion of suitable mechanism for narrowing work including chain guideI sul'morts or blocks 24 and 25 slidably mounted, as on a bar 26, and movable toward and away from each other by suitable means well known in the art and therefore not shown. the chain guide rollers 29 being mountcd'on said blocks. lush rods 2T and 28 connect the blocks 25 and 24, respectively, with corresponding movable portions of the narrowing mechanism.

In operation', the cams 1() and 1T ilnpart| endwise oscillating movement to the rod 7 and the connecting bar 22 respectively. The chain 5 passing over rollers 29 actuates the fork l by means ot' the tappct. (i which slides back and forth vertically between the depending arms ot' said fork, continuously engagingr the same during the entire run ot' the chain and at all stages of the narrowing operation. ll'hen the knitter is operating on maximum width the parts occupy substantially the relative terminal positions shown in full lines in Figure l. During narrowing operation, the carriers 24 and 25 will approach each other step by step and the terminal or end of the run position of the tappet. t will gradually shit't toward the open end of the fork 4, as indicated in dotted lines, Figure 1. The thread carrier motion just described operates with improved smoothness and speed over theprevionsly known types and presents substantially uniform tension or load thereby diminishing' strain on moving partsrof the machine. Furthermore, where a frictional connection, such as that shown in Figure 3 is used any unusual impediment to movement of, the carriers will not wreck the machine or substantial parts thereof.

lhere the sinker or meshing movement is operated independently of the thread carrier lnoving mechanism, it is possible to utilize a wider range of speed adjustments and thread carrier lead than is available in knitters having the thread carrier operating direet'. from the connecting bar. Particularly accurate adjustment is possible by varying the etl'cctive contours ot' the cams 1() and 17 respectively. Thus, by usel of a suitable cam 10 the endwise movclnent ol driving rod T is arrested at the end of each stroke and moves in the opposite direction only after the corresponding connecting bar stroke has been completed and the next one initiated in the opposite direction. 'lhis does away with all necessity for automatic or other engaging and disengaging devices in which there is abrupt or violent connecting and disconnecting. At the. same time, the contours ot' the respective cams are such that maximum operating speed and a suitable effective lead otl the thread carrier are always maintained.

l clailn as my invention:

1. ln a knitting machine, the combination of ay reciprocatable jack bar, a reciprocatable thread carrier rod, a cam for actuating said bar, and a separate cam for actuating the rod through its entire course in each direction.

2. Driving mechanism for thread carriers in knitting machines comprising a. carrier rod. a fork operatively connected at right angles thereto, a drive chain, a tappet on said chain in continuous engagement with said fork and slidable longitlulinally thereot', and means for imparting endwise oscillating movement to said chain.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this '16th day of February, 1926.

CURT HILSCHER. 

